The awaited new phone – RED Hydrogen One – was presented as a working prototype few days ago to invited RED owners at an event in Los Angeles. The final product should hit the stores this august. Here summarize the info and hands-on experience with the holographic device.
RED Hydrogen One – Backside. Photo credit: Phil Holland
RED Event for Hydrogen in Hollywood
On May 19th RED held an event in their studio in Hollywood for an invited audience of RED camera owners and they presented the working prototypes of their RED Hydrogen One phone. Invited guests got a chance to play with the phones and to experience the unique holographic display. Under one condition – they asked that no one should post a photo or video of the display at work. As Jim Jannard mentioned it would “ruin the first impression of it for everyone.” It makes sense: a 2D photo or video cannot transfer the holographic experience to the viewer. Just like HDR can’t be shown on a normal display.
We already posted about the first hands-on with the RED Hydrogen last August, when YouTuber Marques Brownlee got to play with the first “dummy” prototype. At the beginning of this year we reported about updates to the RED Hydrogen phone. Now, after the dedicated RED event, it is clear RED has working (near final) prototypes and they will most likely be able to deliver the final product as promised: The mysterious RED phone should be coming this summer in August to AT&T and Verizon networks in the US (no word about other countries yet). The company plans to ship the pre-ordered phones a bit earlier, in July.
Let’s sum up what we already know about it.
RED Hydrogen One – Frontside. Photo credit: Phil Holland
RED Hydrogen One Specs
5.7-inch 2560 x 1440 display capable of both 2D and Holographic 3D
Android OS
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Processor (slightly outdated)
Two cameras on the back as well as two front-facing cameras (for creating 3D content)
Exposed pins to connect extra modules. So far we know about the large camera sensor module.
It comes in either aluminum version (preorder price: $1,195) or titanium version (preorder price: $1,595)
RED Hydrogen One Testing Booths. Photo credit: Phil Holland
No Smartphone, a “Media Machine”
We don’t know much about the RED Hydrogen One, but the existing specs alone are not somewhat impressive against current smartphone flagships, especially given the price. RED’s new phone is however a category of its own – mainly because of the display, but also because it is supposed to be a part of a new ecosystem RED is creating. The company actually does not want to present this device as a smartphone. Instead, they call it a “media machine”.
Jim Jannard talking to guests at the RED event. Photo credit: Phil Holland
There is a live video from the RED event where we can hear Jim Jannard saying: “RED Hydrogen is not an event, it is a beginning of a very long programme.” See below:
It is supposed to be the first product of a starting ecosystem. That could be the unique selling point for the Hydrogen. If the ecosystem will be good and widely supported with multiple good modules. It is worth noting though, that other manufacturers have already tried and failed delivering a good modular smartphone.
One of the invited guests was Dieter Bohn from The Verge. His hands-on experience with the RED Hydrogen One is nicely summarized in this video:
As Dieter wrote in his article – the phone feels really big. With its 5.7″ display the body is larger than an iPhone 8 Plus. In terms of design it kind of stays in the line with other RED products – talking industrial style with lots of fins and ridges. Many parts of the phone’s body are metal. The phone’s both edges have grip-like scallops for an easier one-handed use. Power button is located on the right edge and it has a fingerprint sensor.
The Mysterious RED Hydrogen Display
The holographic display is RED’s secret weapon (see what I did there?) and should be the phone’s unique selling point. The fact that they are so mysterious about it and only share videos of people’s first reactions reveals how proud they are about the technology. According to RED the experience is “so much better than any 3D technology till now”. The display technology is called 4-view. The idea is that the display should give a “holographic” 3D experience of the content without the need of any glasses.
Dieter tested two different 4-view demos on the phone’s prototype and wrote about it:
In the first, I watched a loop of a bunch of different videos, and what I saw was a big step over 3D on other phones. Essentially, I was able to move and tilt the phone around without the 3D effect becoming broken. It worked in both landscape and portrait, and the depth of the 3D was also better than I’ve seen on a phone before — but, of course, that’s not very strong praise.
The second demo was also impressive. With a Hydrogen One, I was doing a simple video chat with somebody across the room. But this was a “Holo chat,” so both my face and theirs were displayed as holograms in real time. There are two front-facing cameras, as you need two to make a 3D effect.
As for how RED is making this effect happen, it’s complicated to the point of sounding like handy-wavy science fiction filler. Jannard told me that there is a special layer underneaththe LCD display, which, when enabled, is able to direct light in multiple directions instead of the standard two that happen with lenticular displays. RED is also doing more than just combining two images to make standard 3D. I’m told it’s trying to use an algorithm to blend multiple angles from those two lenses to create the effect.
It’s a hologram, basically, but it doesn’t really pop out of the screen so much as give you depth within it. I wouldn’t describe this screen as the reason to go out and buy this phone, but it was neat.
The essential aspect for a new technology is to provide enough content for it. RED is planning to create a streaming service to provide holographic content for the Hydrogen One. The holographic H4V content should be streamable through Hydrogen One Network. It is an app which RED will be launching and which should provide enough content for the phone.
RED Logo on the front side. Photo credit: Phil Holland
Surround Audio by RED
The RED Hydrogen One should also be very capable in terms of audio reproduction. At the RED event guests could try the audio experience both with just the phone and with high end headphones. The A3D Spatial Surround Audio – the 3D sound experience – should be possible with the phone even with a regular stereo audio file. RED’s algorithm should be able to convert the audio in the 3D surround experience. No Film School was also there at the event and they wrote about the sound:
At the demo station an audio file was played through a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 II noise-cancelling headphones and it was remarkable. It was like sitting in a Dolby Atmos mix. You could hear low end, high end, different EQ, all the panning, the directional changes, depth, movement, distinction in similar sounds… They did have another listening station without headphones and the experience with all the crowd noise around us was just as fruitful. While turning the device in any direction you didn’t lose much sound clarity.
All in all, the new RED Hydrogen One will not be a product for the masses. We don’t know much about the phone yet, for instance there is no info yet about the built-in cameras or memory size. I am curious what the final full specs will be. The overall success of the phone in my opinion depends on the usability of the holographic display and on the quality of the content and the whole new RED Hydrogen environment with the expansion modules. In the end, we don’t know much about the modules yet either. I guess we will soon know more.
Next chance to get your hands on the RED Hydrogen One will be June 2-3 at the AT&T Shape event in Los Angeles, so if you are in the area and feel the need to see the holographic display with own eyes you shouldn’t miss it. Note that a $100 registration is neccessary to visit the event – you can do it here.
Did you pre-order the RED Hydrogen One? What do you think of the hype and specs so far? Feel free to comment below.
Via: The Verge, Red Shark, Nofilmschool, Featured image credit: Phil Holland

The RED Camera Line Up is now much easier to understand with REDs announcement of a unified body with 3 sensors. Here is the idiots guide to understanding the RED line up.
You’d be forgiven if you’ve become utterly lost with what RED does what of late. No Producer I know has a clue what an EPIC is from a Dragon is from a Monstro.
REDs recent announcement makes a lot of sense in unifying their line up, making it much easier to understand.
In a nutshell they have binned off different camera bodies, there is now one camera body, the 3 sensor choices.
Also, the cost is now cheaper, working well for new customers whilst some current customers are outraged at the loss of equity (more on that later).
Forget everything you know – Dragon, Weapon, Epic are gone. Here is the layman’s terms version of the RED Cinema Camera Lineup.
The Body – RED DSMC2
The current RED body you can buy is called the RED DSMC2. The same as ARRI have the Alexa Mini, and Canon have the C300 – REDs camera is called the DSMC2.
Nearly all the features of the camera across the board are now the same, all shoot a minimum of 5K, can shoot ProRes simultaneously to R3D raw, all compatible with REDs current DSMC2 accessories.
We are keeping things simple here and won’t go in to full specs. For that go here.
After selecting your RED DSMC2 camera, you then have a choice of 3 sensors – Monstro, Helium or Gemini.
Sensor 1 – Monstro (The Full Frame one)
The Monstro sensor offers 8K resolution in VistaVision format (VV) up to 60fps. VistaVision is circa Full Frame 35mm territory (sensor chart here). So think of this as the full frame version.
This is the largest RED sensor on offer – The RED DSMC2 Monstro 8K VV.
Sensor 2 – Helium (The Super35 one)
The Helium also offers 8K resolution up to 60fps, but this time in Super35mm format – a more industry standard sensor format.
If the Helium is the Alexa, the Monstro is the Alexa LF.
The RED DSMC 2 Helium 8K S35.
Sensor 3 – Gemini 5K (the Lowlight one)
The Gemini is REDs latest sensor announcement, it has a dual sensitivity modes for darker environments.
You trade off for better low-light for resolution. The Gemini shoots super35mm images in 5K up to 96fps.
The RED DSMC2 Gemini 5K S35.
If you just want the topline, that’s it! One body, 3 sensors, simple. If you want to dig a little deeper, here’s a bit more info.
The Other Models
There are still two other existing RED cameras – the RED Raven and Scarlet-W.
These are the lower end versions – The Scarlet-W is the straight forward super35mm 5K camera.
The RED Raven is the entry-level camera – cropped sensor (4.5K max), fixed EF mount.
The Older Models
At the time of writing, RED only sells the DSMC2, the Scarlet-W and Raven. All other RED cameras are considered legacy cameras.
It’s easy to spot a legacy camera, if it doesn’t have the below Pogo mount (cable-less connection), it is an older legacy RED camera body.
This is where the terms EPIC, Dragon, Mysterium will get thrown about. There’s a little bit of a cross over (i.e Scarlet-W has a Dragon sensor). But ultimately all terms outside of the DMSC2 body, 3 sensors & 2 lower cameras are being binned.
Key to legacy naming:
Weapon – Rebranded with the DSMC2 update
Epic-W – Rebranded with the DSMC2 update
Epic – Legacy camera body
Dragon – Legacy name for a sensor format
Mysterium – Legacy name for a sensor format
RED One – Legacy camera body
The Varying Models
There are still specialist variants you can get of the RED DSMC2 with each sensor.
Some of these include – Monochrome (black and white), Carbon Fibre (physically lighter) and Xenomorph (A David Fincher special).
Resolutions – Full Format Explained
Each Sensor has an optimum resolution – for the Monstro/Helium it’s 8K , for the Gemini it’s 5K.
Gemini/Helium are made to the Super35mm format (near enough), and the Monstro is larger with VistaVision.
The important thing to remember is the full format of the sensor size is available only at the optimum resolution (when shooting raw). Anything below is a crop of the sensor.
It means that if you only want Super35mm at 4K (standard protocol outside of the RED family), it is not always best to seek perceived best in class.
You could obtain more natively from different sensor (a reason why the Scarlet-W is such good value).
The key is always to shoot at optimal resolution, and downscale in post.
Here are graphs to understand how they interact with both super35mm and 35mm stills frame (Interactive comparison tool found here)
Upgrade Paths
As a RED owner you can upgrade with certain camera bodies to the new sensors. Info on that here.
Good News For Everyone?
This recent unification of camera bodies also came with a reduction in price for each camera body, you can see prices below.
So it is now now cheaper to buy a new RED DSMC2 camera.
Whilst the announcement itself adds clarity moving forward, it adds a cloudy, merky horizon for some existing customers.
It’s caused a lot of problems for people already invested in the system, who can now be found in huge amounts of negative equity.
It remains to be seen what the outcome is for these customers, it seems parts of the announcement have been determine with hast, so may take some time to iron a few things out.
“Our Camera lineup as most of you can agree has gotten a little bloated and confusing… So we saw the opportunity to reset everything and we grabbed it.
One body. All Weapon inside. A true, unified DSMC2. Then choose your sensor..
It was painful to get to the above. I actually agreed to this pricing last month with you all on Reduser before the math actually worked out. The math actually didn’t… it was very far away” – Red President Jarred Land on REDuser

Facebook is partnering up with RED in order to connect RED’s camera technology with Facebook 360 algorithms to create immersive, 6 degrees of freedom (6DOF) content. In a new announcement made at their f8 developer conference, Facebook revealed their plan to enhance content creation by teaming up with RED in order to develop a high-end professional VR camera. (Watch here the relevant section of the presentation).
According to Facebook, they have been pursuing the best technology in order to help their users to deliver the most compelling and beautiful stories and now, teaming up with RED will also offer them a chance to work with a company that is already an established partner of Hollywood, which should help to get the camera into the hands of filmmakers.
Facebook VR camera prototype. A screenshot taken from the presentation
RED will be responsible for capturing the images, (it’s not mentioned in the presentation if the files will be R3D – but most probably not), and the rest of the workflow will probably be implemented by other technologies and companies. Take a look at the screenshot from the presentation below. It looks as if Adobe will be involved in this project too.
A slide taken from Facebook’s presentation
There is no information regarding the camera structure nor the price. Also, there is not a sketch on how it may look like. For now it seems that all is being kept under a “development announcement” and I’m really curious to see how it will evolve and at what price point.
Final thought
RED hasn’t mentioned anything yet regarding the partnership with Facebook and I don’t expect this VR 360 product to be available anytime soon, since RED is busy with their smartphone project which is supposed to be shipped later on this summer. Developing such a product together with other technologies and companies is very complex and will take some time.
What do you think about this announcement? Let us know your thoughts about this partnership in the comments below.

The GEMINI 5K S35 sensor, which started out as RED’s limited edition sensor for outer space and ultra low light missions, is now available to the public.
In January, RED made a custom S35 low light sensor for dedicated customers for use in outer space.
“Super sensitive (2 stops more sensitive than Helium) Big pixel, 5K, 96fps and 30.72mm wide by 18mm tall. Gemini is a Vampire… Loves the dark, but you literally need to put ND’s on it if you want to shoot it in the light….This is not a normal product and is not in the RED stores or on RED.com and there is only 5 of them” said Jarred Land, President of RED Digital Cinema, on Instagram.
The first version of the Gemini
Today, RED made this sensor available to order for the public on their site, in form of a super sensitive sensor dedicated to ultra low light shooting.
According to Jarred’s post on Reduser, “The GEMINI 5K S35 sensor started out as our space sensor that offered exceptional low-light performance. But we wanted more… So we spent the last few months, adding a ‘Normal’ mode as well. Now you can shoot in the Day and Shoot in the night”.
The Gemini
Dual Sensitivity (LL VS Standard)
The Gemini sensor is RED’s highest sensitivity sensor to date. There are 2 sensitivity modes: Standard mode and LL (Low Light) mode. Standard Mode for well-lit conditions and Low Light Mode for darker environments. This is a dual-ISO sensor not unlike the one found in Panasonic Varicam or EVA1 cameras. The Gemini’s LL mode claims to produce a clean image with less noise, even in the darkest situations. LL mode is not intended to use in daylight, but dedicated to the very low light situations only. Also, the sensor has the ability to preserve highlights very well as you can see in the screenshot below.
Gemini preserves the highlights
Low light situations. Gemini seems to have lower noise even in higher ISO.
The switching between “Standard” and “Low Light” (LL) sensitivity modes seems pretty straightforward.
Watch the video below which demonstrates GEMINI Sensor’s dual sensitivity capabilities, as well as noise reduction in low light situations and the ability to preserve highlight details.
Key features of the EPIC-W with GEMINI 5K S35 sensor according to RED’s specs:
New 5K S35 sensor that delivers optimized low-light performance
15.4 Megapixel Dual Sensitivity CMOS Sensor
30.72 mm x 18 mm (Diagonal: 35.61 mm)
Dual sensitivity sensor provides greater flexibility for a variety of shooting environments
Seamless switching between Standard and Low Light modes ( no reboot needed )
5K up to 96 fps Full Format
16.5 stops of DR
4K upto 30fps and 2K upto 120fps using ProRes or Avid
Simultaneously record REDCODE plus ProRes or Avid
Up to 275 MB/s write speeds
Interchangeable lens mount
Price:
Starting at $24,500.
Alternatively, WEAPON Carbon Fiber and RED EPIC-W 8K customers will have the option to upgrade to the GEMINI sensor at a later date.
Upgrade/Sensor Swap options:
• DSMC2 WEAPON HELIUM > Can upgrade or RA-W to GEMINI for $4950.
• DSMC2 WEAPON DRAGON > Can upgrade or RA-W to GEMINI for $4950.
• DSMC2 EPIC-W HELIUM > Can upgrade to GEMINI for $4950.
Watch the video of the EPIC-W with GEMINI 5K Footage
So, there you have it. Another new RED sensor. This time is not about resolution and quality, but rather focusing on low light capabilities – a field where RED had some catching-up to do but is now seemingly doing quite well with latest sensor offerings.
What do you think of the Gemini sensor on Epic-W? Is it a reason for you to upgrade or even to start into the RED ecosystem? Let us know in the comments section below!

Today we’ll take a look at the cameras used in the Oscar-nominated films in the Cinematography and Best Picture categories. The results may surprise you… or not!
One of the most interesting questions that may strike your curiosity when watching a movie – and especially one nominated for an Oscar – is “what camera was that shot on?” For us filmmakers, when it comes to choosing the right camera, these films can serve as a sort of reference, especially in a time when there are so many cinema cameras, sensors and ultra high-resolution goodies to choose from.
So, we had a look at the Tech Spec section of all of these movies’ IMDB page. Check out the list below to find out what cameras were used for this year’s Oscar-nominated films:
Blade Runner 2049 :Arri Alexa Mini, Arri Alexa Plus, Arri Alexa XT Studio
Darkest Hour: Arri Alexa Mini, Arri Alexa SXT Plus
Dunkirk: IMAX MKIV, IMAX MSM 9802, Panavision 65 HR Camera, Panavision Panaflex System 65 Studio
Mudbound: Arri Alexa Mini
The Shape of Water: Arri Alexa Mini, Arri Alexa XT Plus
Call Me by Your Name: Arricam LT
Get Out: Arri Alexa Mini
Lady Bird: Arri Alexa Mini
Phantom Thread: Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2
The Post: Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL2
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: Arri Alexa XT Plus
So, what can we learn from this? First, no RED! Not even as a B cam. It turns out that the ARRI ALEXA still dominates the cinema market (excluding the IMAX cameras in Dunkirk), and it’s the preferred camera for many DPs – likely because of its pedigree and color science. Furthermore, the favorite camera here is the ALEXA Mini, a more budget-friendly option than the other ARRI beasts.
Another interesting fact: most of the source formats were under 4K! The most common format this year was ARRIRAW (3.4K), meaning we are still quite a long way from shooting Oscar-winning projects in 8K. Then again, does it matter at all?
Does this data surprise you? Did you expect to see RED in this list? Let us know your thoughts!

“We will make cameras that will shoot professional-quality films in 8K resolution but at only a third of current prices and a third of current camera sizes”
The statement above was announced by Terry Gou, founder and chairman of Foxconn – the largest private employer in China and one of the largest employers worldwide.
Foxconn manufactures electronic products for major international companies. Notable products include BlackBerry, iPad, iPod, Kindle, Nintendo, PlayStation and, of course, the iPhone.
As 8K resolution is slowly threatening to become the benchmark standard for digital television and cinematography, the strategic business pivot into prosumer cinema camera production sounds almost logical if you consider plus Foxconn searching of a new revenue stream. Suddenly RED can become the ultimate partner for a joint venture – the perfect match to disrupt the ultra high-resolution cinema camera market. RED is not afraid of innovation and new business adventures and neither is Foxconn.
According to Nikkei Asian Review, Gou said that he is in contact with RED Digital Cinema looking to form a joint venture or partnership to produce affordable cameras. RED’s 8K camera currently sells for around $30,000, which probably makes it attractive for professionals only. Foxconn’s vision is to deliver professional imaging products to the general public as well.
A genius strategic move or business cannibalization?
I have to admit, it sounds both fantastic and strange. Why should RED take this business route? RED had teamed up with Apple already in order to deliver the Raven to the masses for a reasonable price. Actually, what makes RED cameras expensive is not only the camera itself, but the accessories (taking Raven as an example).
That move could be a sort of market cannibalization by RED, unless the company is willing to withdraw from the pro cinema market and penetrate more into the consumer market (Hydrogen…?).
What do you think? Is this a smart move for RED? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

As filmmakers, you are often required to work on multiple cameras. Often enough, one week you are on a RED, the next on ARRI and then suddenly on a Sony camera. It can be cumbersome to remember which camera menu setting is where, and how manufacturers name their settings. We have listed camera simulators and some Youtube links that will make your life easier to brush up on your skills and train those grey brain cells to muscle memory for your next job.
Contents:
– ARRI
ARRI SXT
ARRI MINI
– RED
RED EPIC / WEAPON
-Panasonic
PANASONIC VARICAM S35
PANASONIC VARICAM LT
-Sony
SONY F55
ARRI Camera Simulators
ARRI SXT Camera
LINK TO ARRI SXT MENU SIMULATORARRI Mini Camera
LINK TO ARRI MINI SIMULATORRED Camera Simulator
The RED camera simulator is only available on iTunes. Please find below a link to DONNA.
LINK TO RED CAMERA SIMULATOR
Panasonic Camera Simulators
Panasonic Varicam S35
LINK to Panasonic VARICAM S35 camera simulatorPanasonic Varicam LT
LINK to Panasonic Varicam LT Camera Simulator
Sony Camera Simulators
Sony F55 / F5
LINK to Sony F5/F55 Camera Simulator
We hope this guide to camera menu simulators has helped you. If you wish to have any other camera menu simulators added, please let us know in the comments below.